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my first lush cosmetics experience

After 25 years (going on 26 in June!), I've finally started paying attention to my skin. I moved to the US from the Philippines nearly a year ago and the change in climate brought about some changes in my skin as well, especially on my face. It's incredibly humid in the Philippines while California air is really dry. While I'm glad my nose didn't bleed from the climate shift, it was my skin that took a blow.

Cetaphil seemed to do the job until, well, it didn't anymore. I went for a facial a couple months ago and the lady who did it said that I needed to upgrade. Also, thanks to her, I now know that I have normal skin. All these years I thought I had combination skin! I followed her advice and gave myself permission to splurge a bit. My college self would have laughed at you if you told me I'd drop $$$ on skin care products. Skin care is probably one of the things I wouldn't skimp on now.

I wanted to try a bunch of products but I figured that wouldn't be the best for my skin, so I did my research online. There were a few strong contenders but I knew that I wanted to go natural. Enter Lush!

I had heard of Lush back when I was in the Philippines mainly because of their famous bath bombs. But because I didn't go out much (I was one happy introvert), I didn't know they had stores there. I probably wouldn't have purchased them anyway because it was more expensive. So glad I'm in North America where it's relatively cheaper. Here's what I ended up buying:

Ultrabland is the lazy girl's dream come true. It's a cleanser and makeup remover in one. At first I was apprehensive to use it because I don't normally like using washcloths to clean my face. It sounded like too much work. But I realized that it's actually less work because of the dual purpose. Ultrabland has a lot of essential oils so it doesn't dry out my skin and it's not harsh. I was pleasantly surprised by its cleansing and makeup removing power especially if the washcloth is warm--it opens up my pores a bit to prepare it for toner.

PROS: Relatively easy to use. Smells great. According to Lush, it's compatible with most skin types.CONS: If you don't like using washcloths, this isn't for you.WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN? Most likely. It keeps cleansing simple. But I also want to try their other cleansers that can be easily washed off with water.

This is one of my favorite products by far! I love the smell of patchouli and the soothing feel of aloe on my face. I prefer to spray it onto a cotton pad instead of directly onto my face. I like this product so much that I bought a smaller bottle to bring with me on an upcoming trip!

PROS: Refreshing (lives up to its name!), smells great, soothes the skin. Comes in a spray bottle so you don't have to worry about pouring too much.CONS: I can't think of any! I wish it came in a bigger bottle.WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN? I already did! And yes, will repurchase the bigger bottle to keep in the bathroom.

I'm no stranger to the softening properties of coffee grounds. One time, I took out grounds from the coffee pot because I read somewhere that caffeine livens up your skin. I tried it and was blown away by how soft my skin was after rinsing! It makes sense to use coffee to exfoliate because it's coarse.

What I like about Cup O' Coffee is the fact that it has kaolin clay so it can adhere to skin better. I only use it 2-3 times a week, or when I've had a really long night and my skin needs to look more alive the following day.

PROS: It's an exfoliant and mask in one. Unlike the fresh masks, this one is self-preserving so there's no need to refrigerate. You can also use this on your body.CONS: Removal can get messy. I would recommend that you rinse it off in the shower.WOULD I BUY IT AGAIN? Definitely!

I keep forgetting to take a photo of BB Seaweed because it has to be kept in the fridge. By the time I wanted to take a photo, I've already used up the product!

BB Seaweed is a great addition to my skin care routine. Even my husband likes it! My skin needed some calming after I reacted (again) to lip balm with peppermint oil. The aloe and rose absolute in this mask helped calm and soften my face. Put on this mask after a stressful day and it's like instant aromatherapy, too.

PROS: Does what it says it does--soothing and softening. Smells great! No synthetics.CONS: Doesn't last a long time and you have to always refrigerate it. But for the price? I say it's worth it.WOULD YOU BUY IT AGAIN? Yes, but for my next mask I would try a different one first. They have so many options!

Overall, I think the products I got work well for me. The other day I went to see the lady who did my facial for a haircut (she's also my hair lady!) and she asked me if I ended up buying new products. I told her I did and she said she's noticed an improvement in my skin tone. Lush must work then! I'll post my review of the Vanishing Cream moisturizer and one of their solid shampoo bars in another post.

Visiting the Fashion Valley Mall store was quite the treat. The employees really help you out so if it's your first time trying out their products, ask questions! They'll let you sample things on-site and you can always ask for samples to bring home with you. It's not hard to fall in love with Lush given their incredible products and excellent customer service.

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Hi there!

Hi! This is Patricia :) I'm a recent Southern California transplant who enjoys working with words, either in reading or crafting them together. I'm also enthusiastic about blogging, culture care, and learning new things. I'm married to an amazing drummer/writer and I love Jesus above all. I'm so glad you're here and I hope you stay awhile!